At the Crossroads of the Ancient Capital
by Roxie Zephyr Jocelyn
Summary: Pairing: Shinichi x Ran. Discovering love in unexpected places. Discovering love in unexpected ways. And for Ran, it was one of the most memorable experiences ever, her own discovery at the crossroads of the ancient capital...


A/N: This fic takes place at the very end of Detective Conan Movie 7, Crossroads of the Ancient Capital. As usual, the fascinating characters of Detective Conan do not belong to me but to their esteemed creator. ENJOY!

Info:

baka - the Japanese term for 'idiot'

Kudo Shinichi - Jimmy Kudo

Mouri Ran - Rachel Moore

Hattori Heiji - Harley Hartwell

At the Crossroads of the Ancient Capital

Ran watched her friends with mixed feelings. On one hand, she was happy for the Osakan 'couple'. She wasn't blind and was well aware of who exactly Heiji loved. The light in his eyes was unmistakable, the sparkle that spoke of absolute contentment, the glimmer that screamed of absolute bliss. His entire being seemed to glow, embraced in a soothing aura even as his gentle eyes watched Kazuha, his childhood friend, his destined love. The said girl was oblivious to this as she pouted, sulking about Heiji's apparent first love even as her own eyes spoke of her love for him. For any jealousy she felt had been washed away by the happiness that her secret love basked in even as she basked in the attention that he showered on her. Heiji may have been talking about his first love but Kazuha saw only her reflected in his eyes, feeling only how treasured she was in his presence. Maybe one day they would be parted but for now, she would hold on to the blissful feeling of being in love and being loved in return.

Both were so lost in their own world that neither noticed Ran watching them with a strangely fixed expression on her face. Oh, Ran was indeed happy for her friends, very happy. But, her joy was marred. Tears pricked at her eyes even as she swiftly dashed them away. Watching Kazuha and Heiji, teasing and laughing, a gentle familiarity, an unspoken trust, a genuine bond, only served to remind her of _him_, Kudo Shinichi, the mystery loving baka who was currently missing. Her heart ached, her friends' joyful reunion further accentuating her own loss, that emptiness in her that had welled up within her and taken a permanent residence ever since the night Shinichi had disappeared. Though her expression never faltered, her own smile became forced, a mask to hide her own anguish in her loneliness. How she longed to be by his side again, even if it was only to see his playful smile. 'Shinichi…'

Her barely audible whisper did not escape a sharp ear. As Conan's gaze fell on Ran, his cheeky smirk slid clear of his face. He was painfully familiar with the way her eyes shone suspiciously bright and the way her expression darkened. His own heart twisted, a fist clenching tightly, making it hard for him to breathe. She was thinking about Shinichi again. His own eyes darkened, hidden behind his spectacles as he averted his gaze to the floor. Unconsciously, his fingers fiddled with his bowtie as he contemplated calling her. At her obvious pain, all rationality had flown out of his mind. Never mind the risks. Whenever he was faced with her hurting, so desperately longing for him, he just couldn't stand by and not do anything. Never mind the risks. It was just one call, just one to remind her that Shinichi was merely a phone call away.

He was seriously considering it, scoffing at his gamble, when his eyes fell on the can of Coke he held in his hand. Realization dawned and idea crossed his mind. He had almost forgotten. He didn't have to call her. There was another way to remind her that he was always there. Almost immediately, a mischievous grin lit up his face. He shook the can.

'AH!' A startled cry brought Ran abruptly back to earth. Her melancholic musings were cut abruptly short as a rather amusing sight greeted her. She shook her head, helpless against the smile that tugged her lips. Conan, her sweet but composed Conan was completely drenched in Coke. He was such a precocious child that she almost never saw such the innocent completely unguarded side in him. As he blinked owlishly at her, her smile grew. She was never sad for long when she was with him. Somehow, he always knew when she was hurting the most and would jump in to comfort her in such unexpected ways. But, she knew that he could not have known all that. It was all a coincidence, wishful thinking on her part. After all, he was just a child. Smart, precocious and maybe too serious but still, just a child. 'Conan-kun,' she sighed bemused, withdrawing her handkerchief, getting ready to clean the sticking substance off him, 'Whatever will I do with…?' She stopped and stared.

Her white handkerchief was stained with dirt and sweat. The patch of grime marring its cleanliness struck a chord in her. She had brought a clean handkerchief along. She couldn't remember ever using it. So, where…? A myriad of images flashed in her mind's eye, colours blinding her, emotions brushing her soul. Her eyes widened and her face lit up as a memory came back to her, a memory of that strange meeting during a moonlit night. A light blush stained her cheeks. She could still see it, his features drawn in weariness but lighting up in absolute bliss at the sight of her. She could still catch a whiff of it, the mixture of a woody scent and one so masculine in its familiarity that made her feel slightly heady. She could still feel it, the warmth of his embrace, the security she felt in his arms for that split second. She could still hear it, the way his heart beat and fluttered, alive beneath her hand. She could still remember every detail so clearly that she felt as if she had been transported back in time. She had seen him. He had been there. He had really been there!

'It wasn't a dream.' She lightly caressed her handkerchief. Never had a patch of dirt been so precious. It was a tangible sign of their meeting, their fateful meeting on that moonlit night. All at once, she felt her love for him blossom in her heart, lifting her up into the heavens. It was ridiculous how happy he could make her feel. Just knowing that she had seen him, alive, real, just knowing that she had touched him, lent wings to her feet and sent her heart soaring.

'Looks like we finally met,' she mused, 'Shinichi.'

Her simple words seemed too inadequate in describing how she felt but, she knew that no words would be able to paint the exact picture of her exhilaration. A wistful smile touched her lips even as she basked in the memory of his touch, the memory of their unexpected reunion.

The four friends laughed, cradled in the bliss of love.

For, two hearts had found each other…

…and two hearts had been reunited…

…at the crossroads of the ancient capital.


End file.
